Thomas Morgan remembers hauling in some old seats, donated from Macky Auditorium.

Morgan and a group of other volunteers dragged the seats into a building in the middle of Boulder that used to be a dairy. It had been gutted, and what remained were cinder block walls surrounding a giant warehouse with a few partitions.

The difference 24 years later is dramatic, says Morgan — the difference of the physical building, the arts scene and even Morgan's life.

That cavernous warehouse became an arts hub in Boulder, the recently renovated Dairy Arts Center.

The public can also get a tour of the new dressing rooms and green room, which Bill Obermeier, executive director of the Dairy, says will help the already quality performance groups raise the bar even higher.

Back stage is just the beginning of the changes the facility has recently undergone.

"We've totally renovated the space. It's a brand new environment," he says. "The Dairy Center is now an establishment Boulder can be proud of, as well as one of the finest in Colorado and one of the only multi-disciplinary art centers in the country, with fine art, theater, dance, films and more, all under one roof."

"Curiosos" (Curious) by Marco Antonio Garcia Noguera is on display at the Dairy as part of the arts center's grand re-opening.. (Courtesy photo)

The theaters were renovated and so were the galleries and the lobby. The center added a prominent box office, cafe and outdoor terrace. The Dairy now is said to feature the only all-LED-light theater in the state.

The architecture itself is a piece of art, Obermeier says.

"The Dairy truly is the heart and soul of Boulder's art and culture," Obermeier says.

Dwayne Cain, right, and Dejon Beare paint the walls of the McMahon Gallery in February during the remodel of the Dairy Arts Center. (David R. Jennings / Staff Photographer)

The exhibits will remain on display through Sept. 25, with a special reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16.

On Wednesday, as part of a donor appreciation event, Boulder artist Roger Reutimann will unveil his latest, an 11-foot-high sculpture.

Reutimann is a world-renowned sculptor (he has made five sculptures for Elton John), says Obermeier.

Thursday will be the dance day, featuring demos by three different local dance companies: 3rd Law Dance/Theater, Boulder Ballet and Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance.

Friday is a free flamenco performance.

On the final day of the grand re-opening events, six leaders in the arts community — from an actor/director to a musician to a humanitarian — will be honored at the third-annual Dairy Center Honors reception. The celebration begins 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, in the new MacMillan Lobby, followed by performances in the Gordon Gamm Theater and wrapping up on the Palmer Terrace.

Morgan is one of the six honorees.

Honorees were nominated by the community and chosen for their impact on the arts community by a panel of judges.

Back when Morgan moved to Boulder in the 1980s to get his master's degree in music composition from the University of Colorado, he says there was only one singing audition group in the entire city.

Today, there are many high-level singing groups and at least eight community groups, he said.

There's also his group, the semi-pro Ars Nova Singers, which have brought modern and historic a capella music to Boulder (and beyond) now going on 30 years.

"It's a really dynamic environment, and it's wonderful to see it blossom the way it has," Morgan says. "The Dairy is an awesome center for that continuing."

Ami Dyan, another honoree who has been a local leader as an actor, playwright and director, says he thinks the arts scene in Boulder has become more professional over the years.

"The bar is continuously being raised higher and higher, and I believe it actually works between the art forms," Dyan says. "If one steps forward, the other wants to catch up."

Sally Elliott, a painter, who also will be honored at the event, says when the Dairy called to tell her she had been selected, she thought they were asking her for nominations. She says she was shocked to be named a Dairy Center Honoree.

Elliott has been an artist all her life, she said. Her father was an opera singer and her grandmother was an artist.

"I thought that's all there was," she said.

She's also a singer in the Boulder Chorale, and she says she loves teaching art.

"Art saves your soul, I think," she said.

Meet the Dairy Center Honorees

The recipients of the third-annual Dairy Center Honors are:

Ami Dyan playwright, director, actor, teacher

Dyan was born in Israel, where he first discovered theater. After studying around the world, he moved to Boulder. His directing background branched out of translating and adapting works between different languages, and today he has a long list of awards and honors for performances he has written. He also has a list of off-Broadway credits.

Noel Hefty dancer, choreographer, producer, presenter

Hefty has been involved in many aspect of dance - dancer, producer, choreographer and more - for more than 40 years. She also has an accounting degree, which has helped her work on the administrative side of dance. All in all, Hefty has worked with 25 different nonprofits, as well as served on multiple panels and boards. She received the Patron Saint of Dance Award from the Colorado Dance Festival.

Thomas Morgan founder and director of the Ars Nova Singers

Morgan founded Ars Nova Singers 30 years ago, and the semi-pro group has since put on more than 300 performances. Today, the choir is one of the region's top ensembles and has sung on radio broadcasts around the world. Ars Nova also is known for its innovative collaborations with other groups, such as the Fiske Planetarium. Morgan is also a composer and music director at the St. John's Episcopal Church in Boulder.

David Fulker orchestra and jazz musician, founder of the David Fulker Quartet

Fulker has a background in mathematics and computer programming. He was the founding director of Unidata and the National Science Digital Library and a fellow of the American Meteorological Society. But he has another side, too. Fulker also played as the Boulder Philharmonic's principal trumpet performer in 1963, a position he held for 34 seasons, before he stopped and was elected to the orchestra's board. He also served as the president. In addition, he serves on CU's College of Music Advisory Board and performs jazz flugelhorn.

Sally Elliott artist and University of Colorado professor

Elliott has been sharing her work around the world for 35 years. She was a founder of the Front Range Women in the Visual Arts, a fellow of the Colorado Council on the Arts and has helped organize multiple notable exhibitions (including the upcoming "Celebration: A History of the Visual Arts in Boulder," opening later this month). Elliott has taught at other schools around the nation.

Caryl Kassoy humanitarian and arts supporter

Kassoy has been supporting local music for decades. She served on the then-American Symphony Orchestra League and is currently chair of CU's American Music Research Center's advisory board. She has also been highly involved with the Colorado Music Festival and Center for Musical Arts, has hosted dozens of visiting artists in her home and started the Young People's Concert for kids. Her list of work as an art activist goes on. She was also a member of the original committee that investigated turning the Watts-Hardy Dairy into an arts center back in 1991.

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